Automatic table-service apparatus.



APPLICATION FILED 1AN9| 1915.

Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

fil-f I. F. DASCHNER.

AUTOMATIC TABLE SERVICE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 9. 1915.

IIutented Apr. 24, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. F. DASCHNER. AUTOMATI TABLE SERVICE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.9. 1915.

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JOHN F. DASCHNER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC TABLE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

Application led January 9, 1915.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that l, JoiiN F.. DAsciiNER, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Table-Service Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus adapted to use in restaurants orhotels, for serving guests. It is well known that the methods in commonuse for serving patrons of restaurants and hotel dining rooms, possessmany objectionable features, and while they may vary more or lessaccording to the ability or experience of waiters, they are inconvenientand annoying at the best. The inattention of the waiters, the expectancyof tips, the mistakes and confusion of orders, the unsanitary handlingof the accessories, and numerous other undesirable features areincidental and common to the present methods in use in the high classestablishments as well as in hostelrics and eatin houses of the lowergrades. Among the objects of this invention are the provision of meanswhereby the patrons, While comfortably seated at a table can give theirorder direct to the kitchen or other serving department, and have themserved on the table direct from said serving department or without anintermediate attendant, thereby economizing in expense, lesseningconfusion, saving in time and eliminating the annoying common practiceknown as tipping -Coincident to this object is the provision of anelevator that is adapted to operate in a shaft communicating with theserving department and terminating in the table top. Another object ofthe invention is to provide means adapted to be conveniently manipulatedby the patrons, foi' despatching the elevator, on which they have placedtheir orders, to the serving department, the said means being preferablyso arranged that the lowering operation only is controlled by the partyat the table, while the attendant in the serving room can cause theelevator to be raised or lowered as may be desired. Other desirablefeatures and objects of the invention will be apparent fromv thefollowing description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification, Figure Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 24. 1917.

Serial No. 1,400.

1 is a perspective view, partially in section, of an embodiment of theinvention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a table top adapted for use in the improvedapparatus.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the elevator, a portion of one of the guiderods and the ower endof the actuating member.

Fig. 4 is a view in direction of arrow 4, Fig. 3, with-upper parts ofelevator broken away.

Fig. 5 is a plan of one of the shelves of the elevator, detached.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, vertical section online .t3-(3 Fig. 2, enlargedscale, and Fig. 7 is'a similar section 0n line 7-7 Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a central, vertical section of the table, elevator, shaft, andguide rods, showp'ig the elevator in the extreme upper posiion.

Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 Fig. 4.

Fig. 10 illustrates a switch, electric connections and motor that may beused for operating the apparatus, and Fig. 11 is a detail of the brakemechanism.

Throughout the drawings and specfication similar characters of referenceare employed to designate similar parts.

In the embodiment of the invention as herein shown and described,electric motive power is employed for operating the apparatus, and whilethis is a suitable means of obtaining` the desired result, I wish it tobe understood that other operative mechanism may be used withoutdeparting from the spirit or broad principles of the invention, whichconsist of elevator service from a serving department below, through ashaft in the table support and terminating in an opening in the tabletop, means for actuating the elevator from the table and from theserving department, and the closing of the opening in the table top.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 1, 1 represents the fioor of a diningroom, 2 the top of a stationary table, the support 3 of which is hollowand extends through the floor as shown at 3*. The hollow table supportforms a shaft 3b which communicates with the serving department belowthe floor 1 and has its upper terminal opening 2 in the table top 2. Aclosure member 2b is provided for said opening.

4 represents the top of a shelf, platform or table in the servingdepartment. Guide rods 5, 5 are supported on the shelf 4 and extendupward through the shaft 3b, being attached to the walls of said shaftat 5, 5. A preferred construction of the elevator consists of arectangular base 6, having the uprights 6 attached to the four cornersthereof. The uprights are provided with bosses 6b, equally spaced, whichform sug- )rts for a series of removable shelves l)epending from thebase 6 are guides 6, which are adapted to slide on the guide rods 5. Ayoke 6d connects the lower terminals of thel guides 6. Several groovedpulleys are mounted on the apparatus as follows: The pulley 8 is mountedin the shaft 3b near the top thereof, the ulley 8 is mounted outside thelower terminal of said shaft, and the pulleys 8b and 8c are mounted onthe yoke 6d of the elevator. A driving cable 9 has one end 9 thereofmade fast to the wall of the shaft 3" near the top, and opposite thepulley 8. The cable passes downward, under the pulleys 8C and 8b, upwardover the pulley 8, downward under pulley 8, and to a winding drum 10.

As hereinbefore stated the apparatus shown is electrically driven, andfor this purpose the motor 11 may be located at any 'suitable point, asfor example on the ceiling of the serving department, as shown inFig. 1. The shaft 12 is driven by the motor 11 through the medium of thepulley 12, belt 13, and pulley 11a on the motor shaft 11b. The drum 10is driven by the spur gear 10 in mesh with the pinion 12b on the driveshaft 12.

A switch is mounted on the lower end of the table support 3. The switchand its connections is best explained by reference to Fig. 10, in whichit is shown in its neutral position. The switch is actuated by thebellcrank lever 14. It will be seen that when the bars 15, 15a are movedinto contact with the binding posts 16, 16, the circuit is closedthrough the motor 11, by the connections a, b, c, and d, this causes theunwinding of the drum, thereby allowing the elevator to descend. Thereverse direction of the motor is brought about through the connectionse and f when the bars 15, 15a are thrown into contact with the bindingposts 17, 17. A rod 18 is connected with the arm 14 of the bell-crank14, as shown at 14". The rod 18 extends through the shaft 3b and isconnected at its upper end with a lever 18, the lower end beingconnected with lever 18". A push-button 18c is connected with the lever18a and is located at a convenient point for manipulation by a patronseated at the table. The fulcrums of the levers 18B and 18b are soarranged that when the ush-button 18 is depressed the arm 14 o thebellcrank 14 will be depressed, as shown by broken lines Fig. 10, andthereby close the circuit through the connections d and 0 with themotor, causing the elevator to descend. Provision for automaticallystopping the elevator at the desired extreme upper and lower fposition,is made as followsz-A tripping nger 6 is attached to the base of theelevator, and when the elevator reaches the predetermined, extreme lowerposition, the finger 6e strikes the lever 18", causing the bars 15 and15 to break Contact with the connections 16 and 16, through the mediumof the bell-crank 14. It is necessary to arrest the elevator when theswitch is in the neutral position, this is provided for by use of themagnet 19, having the connections g and z, with the bindingposts 16 and16 This magnet actuates a brake on the motor shaft. The brake band 20 isnormally held in braking contact with the wheel 21 on the motor shaft,by its spring action, accelerated by a supplemental spring 21. A rockerlever 22, provided with a cam 22, is fulcruined on the tongue 20l of thebrake band 20, the cam 22 being adapted to operate on the tongue 2()band thereby release the brake by opening the band. The lever 22 isconnected with the core of the magnet 19 by the bar or link 23. It willbe seen that when the circuit is closed and the motor is operating, themagnet is energized through the connections g and h, causing a pull onthe lever 22 and a releasing of the brake by the action of the cam onthe member 20", and at the instant that the circuit is broken, bydisconnection of the switch, the magnet becomes dead, the brake isappliedauto matically arresting the elevator.

When it is desired to raise the elevator, the attendant in the servingdepartment, through the medium of the rod 18 and the bell-crank 14,throws the switch into contact with the connections 17, 17 resulting inthe actuating of the motor 11 in the direction for winding the cable 5on the drum 10. As the elevator ascends the finger 6e trips the lever18, thereby returning the switch to the neutral position.

As the elevator ascends the terminals 6t of the uprights 6 register withrecesses 2 in the under side of the closure member 2", said closuremember is carried up with the elevator and the shelves 7 are exposedabove the table top 2. The mechanism is so arranged and timed that thebase 6 is level with the table top when the elevator is in its eXtremeupper position.

When the table is unoccupied it is preferable that the elevator shall bein the upper position as shown in Fig. 8, if however the elevator shouldbe down and parties wish to be served, the attendant in the servingdepartment may be notified by some suitable signal, as or example anelectric bell or signal light. As there are numerous well known signalsystems that are applicable, and as this is no part of the invention, itis not deemed necessary to show or describe any particular means.

In the practical operation of the improved apparatus, when patrons wishto be served, they are seated at a table and given a billof-fare onwhich is marked the number of the table, and the number of guests to beserved at that particular table, the articles desired are checked by thepatron, on the bill-of-fare, which is then placed on the elevator, thebutton 18c is pushed and the elevator descends to the servingdepartment.

As the elevator descends it leaves the closure member 2b in the opening2a, and when it reaches its lower position the articles checked .on thebill-of-fare are placed on the shelves 7, 7, and the base 6, by anattendant. When the order is filled, the elevator is raised by theattendant manipulating the actuating rod 18. The articles are removedfrom the elevator by the guests, the button 18 is again pressed, causingthe elevator to descend and closing the opening in the table.

It is preferable that only the descent or the elevator can be governedby the guests, as by this arrangement they cannot interfere with theattendant in fillin the order, by raising the elevator premature y. Incase the elevator is down and the guest desires further service, he cannotify the serving department by signal.

The foregoing is a description of a practical apparatus embodying myinvention, but

it is to be understood that there may be many modifications made in thedetails of construction, without departing from the nature of theinvention. I therefore do not expect to be confined to the particularconstruction shown and described, only so far as limited by the scope ofthe claim and the existing state of the art.

Having now described the invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is- In an apparatus of the character de-f scribed, thecombination of a table having an opening therein, an elevator shaftextending downwardly therefrom, an elevator movable in said shaft, amotor and driving connections for moving the elevator in eitherdirection, a motor controller, a connection with the controller extendinto the table and to the base of the shaft, means on the elevator adaptedautomatically to operate said controller connection t0 stop the elevatorat the table and at the base of the shaft, means at the table formanually operating said controller connection to lower the elevator, andmeans at the base of the shaft for manually operating the saidcontroller connection to raise or lower the elevator.

JOHN F. DASCHNER.

Witnesses:

A. SNIDER, L. F. GRIswoLD.

